Algerian troops end four-day siege

Algerian troops have called an end to a four-day siege at a gas facility in the Sahara desert.

Seven hostages were killed by their captors during a final raid on Saturday.

Around 23 hostages and 32 hostage-takers died ocer the course of the four days.

U.S. President Barack Obama blamed the violent outcome on the "terrorists" behind the attack.

"We will continue to work closely with all of our partners to combat the scourge of terrorism in the region," said Obama on Saturday.

His French counterpart, Francois Hollande, defended the Algeria’s response to the situation as being "the most suitable".

"When you have people taken hostage in such large numbers by terrorists with such cold determination and ready to kill those hostages, as they did, Algeria has an approach which to me, as I see it, is the most appropriate because there could be no negotiation," he told journalists earlier in the day.

The In Amenas gas field is located in Tigantourine, some 25 miles south west of the town of In Amenas and 800 miles south east of Algiers.

The plant is jointly run by BP, Norway's Statoil and Algeria's state-owned oil company.

The militants were involved in a standoff since Thursday after attempting to occupy the remote site.